Blind
by ckrets
Summary: "Being blind isn't all that bad." Post TBR. Slight Sukka.


/doesnotownATLA

Suki shivered. The fire that once glowed near her finally flickered to soft darkness. She curled up tightly, clinging to the thin sheets that draped over her body. A cool breeze swiftly nipped at her neck.

It was her first night away from the Boiling Rock, her first night free. The thought of sleeping anywhere other than a cell was rather peculiar to the young warrior. Deciding that she wasn't going to get any shuteye anytime soon, Suki slipped out from under the covers.

"So this is what it feels like," she felt herself saying as she sat in isolation from the group. There was no longer any restraint. Suki could do whatever she wanted; she could go wherever she pleased.

She was no longer alone, but Suki still felt like she needed to be. It's not as if she was used to being surrounded by friends, after all. Sure she had the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki _had_ them, but that was eons ago. Every day in prison Suki was bordered by a sea of nameless faces.

And now here she was.

Time seemed to slide like sand through a sieve.

The warrior sighed, half in relief and half in disbelief. "He came for me," she whispered. The comfort of freedom gradually sunk in. She had to repeat herself. She had to reassure all of her doubts. "He came for _me_."

The wind rustled through the humid atmosphere.

"No, he didn't."

Suki flinched, instinctively glancing in the direction of the voice. It was Toph. Suki raised a brow, not quite sure if her ears deceived her. "Huh?"

"Sokka didn't come for you." Toph was leaning against a concrete wall, her eyes filled with nothingness.

The Kyoshi Warrior merely forced out a taut laugh. She staggered upright, mimicking Toph as she leaned against a wall. Toph held a monotonous stare, a stare that wasn't necessarily directed at Suki, but preferably into empty space.

Suki smiled, stifling a slight frown. "What? What makes you think that he didn't come for me?" Her voice was stiff, somewhat shrill, and didn't come out as she originally intended for it to. Still, Suki was determined to keep her composure.

"Because he didn't," Toph said bluntly, not once lifting her gaze. She crossed her arms and faked a yawn, out of boredom. "Well?"

"Well…what?"

"Is that all you've got to say for him?" the blind earthbender asked, drops of cynicism drizzling out from under her tongue. Suki crossed her arms as well. Feeling this, Toph let hers drop to her sides and began walking towards the warrior. "You're not going to defend Sokka?" Toph asked. "Nothing to say for him, nothing whatsoever?"

"I don't need to," Suki uttered, shifting uncontrollably. "All I know is that Sokka rescued me. He's brave and noble and he wanted to free me. What's more to it?"

Toph didn't smirk, she didn't laugh or snap back at her with a callous or witty remark. She only sighed. "You're right about all those things," the earthbender stated, "but you're only partially right."

Suki pondered Toph's words, letting the awkward moment pass between them. The warrior had no clue what the earthbender was hinting at, but decided to let her continue. "Go on…"

"You were just a sideshow, an additional gain from their trip," Toph said. "Sokka didn't initially plan to come looking after you. He came looking after his dad and his dad alone." The once cold demeanor Toph had changed into a sympathetic expression.

"I know this because I was awake when Sokka left with Zuko," she said. "They just assumed I was asleep." Toph didn't need to glance at Suki's forlorn face.

"I'm sorry."

Morning emerged silkily from the horizon.

Suki wanted to extract the truth from the original source. And that source was just waking up, outstretching his arms and his jaws drooping in a yawn. She approached him while making an attempt to hide her nervousness.

Sokka grinned. "Good _morning _Suki, didja have a nice sleep?" His eyes were dilated with exposure to the rising sun and his smile was lazy. Part of Sokka was still in dream world, his other self was ready for an honest day's work.

She caught Toph in the corner of her eye, whistling with Momo perched on top of her shoulders. The blind earthbender didn't fool Suki; she knew that Toph was honing in on their conversation. But Suki felt as if Toph wasn't trying to fool her. It almost, _almost_ felt as if she was looking after her. Suki looked down at her feet, her palms growing sweaty and her ears simmering. When she didn't respond, Sokka placed a hand on her shoulder.

Suki faintly jolted upright, lifting her face to meet Sokka's.

"You okay?" he asked cautiously, his weary expression now reflecting concern. "Bad dreams, or something?"

Suki reached for Sokka's hand, feeling her own fingertips brush against his. She knew. "Yeah," she uttered, "bad dreams. About prison. But seeing you right now has made it all better." She gave Sokka a warm smile in which he gave in return.

"Alright then, glad you're okay," he replied as his face melted into his usual self. "Come to me whenever you feel like telling me those bad dreams, okay?"

Suki nodded.

"Good." Sokka gave her a swift kiss on the cheek. Suki watched as his hand slipped out from under hers, her warrior sauntering towards the others. Sokka then proceeded to greet his friends and crack jokes and tease Zuko here and there.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Momo had flown off of Toph's shoulders by now. The two of them stood side by side, alone and separated from the rest of the group.

"Because…" Suki paused, exhaling out slowly. "Because being blind isn't all that bad."

Toph's lips curved into a smile as she playfully punched Suki in the arm. "Yeah," she said, sighing and crossing her arms. "But sometimes I wonder what it's like to see."

**A/N** I don't know if in canon Suki did know the truth, but who cares. I decided to tackle and explore her character if she didn't.


End file.
